Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. QU prides itself on its personal approach to learning through small classes, a dedicated faculty, close faculty-student relationships, and a comfortable atmosphere. The University offers courses on both its 52-acre Main Campus and the 23-acre North Campus, located ten blocks away from Main Campus.
Quincy University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and confers undergraduate degrees in over fifty majors and graduate degrees in Business and Education and doctoral degrees in Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy.
The academic curriculum at Quincy University is designed to provide students with the fundamentals of a liberal arts education and prepare them for rewarding professional and personal lives. The flexible curriculum design allows for double majors or major-minor combinations and for interdisciplinary majors. The President’s Honors College, independent studies, special-topics courses, study-away courses, independent research, and internships are also available to integrate practical experience and Franciscan values.
Quincy University is a diverse, coeducational university, serving over 1,100 undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking students. Although the majority are from the Midwest, students come to Quincy University from across the United States and from many foreign countries.
Ceremony Participants
University Marshal
Robert Manning, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Humanities; Professor of Philosophy
Student Flag Bearers
Mackenzie Emmons Maxim Ryner
Quincy University Coat of Arms
Reverend Robert Barko, O.F.M. ’81, M.Div. Director of Campus Ministry
Assistant Marshals
David Kirchhofer, Ph.D. Professor of Physics
2026 Spring Graduates
Scott Luaders, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry
Members of the Faculty and Staff
Mission and Ministry Delegate
Reverend Robert Barko, O.F.M. '81, M.Div. Director of Campus Ministry
Reader
Ken Oliver, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Education and Human Services; Professor of School and Community Counseling; Director, MEC Program
Sign Language Interpreter
Jessica Lewis '16, B.A.
Members of the Board of Trustees
Honorary Degree Presenter
Roger Leenerts Director of Entrepreneurship
Honorary Degree Recipients
Michael W. Hennessy '72, M.A. Carole J. Hennessy '73, B.A.
Commencement Speaker
Samuel P. Banks '76, M.S.W.
Academic Affairs Delegate
Sarah Vordtriede-Patton, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield of Illinois
Most Rev. Thomas John Paprocki, M.Div., S.T.L., J.D., J.C.D., M.B.A.
President of Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Academic Procession ........................................................................................ The 2026 Spring Graduates
Convening of the Ceremony ........................................................................
Sarah Vordtriede-Patton, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Invocation ............................................................................... Reverend Robert Barko, O.F.M. '81, M.Div. Director of Campus Ministry
National Anthem
Mia Blaesing, Raven Sweeney, Ian Malaney, Adam Meerstein
Mia Blaesing, Raven Sweeney, Ian Malaney, Adam Meerstein
Most Rev. Thomas John Paprocki, M.Div., S.T.L., J.D., J.C.D., M.B.A. Bishop
Acknowledgements
Quincy University Marching Band | Jim Lawrence, Digital Media Production Coordinator
Honorary Doctorate
QUINCY, ILLINOIS
Michael W. Hennessy
HONORARY DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS
Michael W. Hennessy retired as president and Chief Executive Officer of the Coleman Foundation, a fully endowed, private, charitable foundation established by J.D. and Dorothy Coleman, previous owners of the Fannie May Candy Company
Mr. Hennessy began his career with Fannie May by developing internal operating systems and marketing strategies, which were then implemented into all company advertising, marketing and operational responsibilities. Mr. Hennessy served as a member of the company's Board of Directors and was Chief Operating Officer of Fannie May.
When Fannie May was sold, Mr. Hennessy partnered with a colleague to carry out the day-to-day operations of the Coleman Foundation. He assumed the Presidency in 1993 and the CEO position in 1995.
During Mr. Hennessy’s 30-year tenure with the Coleman Foundation, the Foundation made over 6,800 grants in the areas of cancer support and treatment, education on self-employment, and vocational training for the developmentally disabled.
Mr. Hennessy expanded the Foundation’s inaugural entrepreneurship education programs by developing additional secondary programs, collegiate entrepreneurship chairs and professorships, and community outreach programs.
As a Quincy University alumnus and advocate of entrepreneurship, Mr. Hennessy has generously supported the Quincy University Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
Mr. Hennessy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a teaching certificate from Quincy University in 1972. He and his wife, Carole, moved to Quincy when he accepted a teaching position in a dropout prevention program with Quincy Public Schools.
After earning a Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling from Western Illinois University, Mr. Hennessy took an active role in the counseling and guidance programs at Quincy High School before moving to the Chicago area.
Whereas, Mr. Michael W. Hennessy demonstrates a commitment to excellence through steadfast leadership in both public and private arenas;
Whereas, Mr. Hennessy personifies the Franciscan spirit through his optimism, kindness, and generosity;
Whereas, Mr. Hennessy serves as an example for others by his entrepreneurial spirit and innovative vision;
Whereas, Mr. Hennessy champions liberal arts education and the general advancement of the arts through generous philanthropy and engaged leadership;
Whereas, Mr. Hennessy embodies the Quincy University mission and our commitment to servant-leadership;
Therefore, be it known that Mr. Michael W. Hennessy is hereby awarded the Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, on this sixteenth day of May 2026.
Honorary Doctorate
QUINCY, ILLINOIS
Carole J. Hennessy
HONORARY DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS
Carole J. Hennessy has signature membership in the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society and Illinois Watercolor Society, and she is an associate member of the American Watercolor Society. Mrs. Hennessy serves as President of the Board for the Watercolor USA Honor Society.
While actively engaged in the Chicago art community, Mrs. Hennessy continues to paint and competitively exhibit her work. Mrs. Hennessy’s work has been exhibited in many local, regional, national, and international exhibitions including shows in Italy, Spain and Canada.
With a concentration on watercolor for more than 40 years, Mrs. Hennessy has furthered her experience through workshops with nationally known watercolor artists. She usually works in series and most of her work has dealt with the landscape, especially the rural areas of the Midwest farmland.
Mrs. Hennessy’s selected group exhibitions include: Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition in eleven of the past thirteen years; Watercolor NOW! in various locations across the nation, eight times; Watercolor USA, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO, six times; and Fabriano in Aquarello watercolor event, Fabriano, Italy, four times.
Mrs. Hennessy has taught art at the high school and elementary levels in both Illinois and Missouri and started her own framing and arts consulting business.
Mrs. Hennessy earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a teaching certificate from Quincy University in 1973, and she generously supports the Quincy University Art Department.
Mrs. Hennessy and her husband Michael are advocates of entrepreneurship and have generously supported the Quincy University Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy champions liberal arts education and the advancement of the arts through generous philanthropy and engaged leadership;
Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy demonstrates a commitment to excellence through steadfast leadership in both public and private arenas;
Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy personifies the Franciscan spirit through her optimism, kindness, and generosity;
Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy has served as an example to others by contributing to the cultural and social arenas of the Chicago and Quincy communities;
Whereas, Mrs. Hennessy embodies the Quincy University mission, serving as a living example of how our graduates can go forward to transform the world around them;
Therefore, be it known that Mrs. Carole Hennessy is hereby awarded the Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, on this sixteenth day of May 2026.
Commencement Speaker
QUINCY, ILLINOIS
Samuel P. Banks
Sam Banks ’76 is retired Director and Board Member at Busey Bank in Champaign, Illinois, and he is well known in the Champaign-Urbana area as former President and CEO of the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club.
Banks’ background includes decades of leadership in child service organizations. During his years at Quincy, he began a life of service to others by volunteering in what ultimately became the Big Brother Big Sister program. Banks spent over thirty years working with abused, neglected and dependent children from throughout Illinois. Following tenures with Chaddock in Quincy and as President and CEO of Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana, Banks returned to his Chicago roots and accepted the position of President and CEO of Glenwood School for Boys and Girls, a residential boarding school for at-risk, low-income students from throughout the Chicago area.
He also found time to achieve success as an NCAA Division I basketball official with 20 years of service before retiring in 2008. He officiated games in the Big Ten, Missouri Valley and other Division I conferences and was chosen to work the NCAA and NIT tournaments. He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as an Official in 2016.
Banks served on the Quincy University Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2009. He was re-elected in 2023 and is a current Board member. Banks’ service with the QU Board includes serving on these Committees: Buildings and Grounds, Student Affairs, Mission and Ministry, Audit, Executive, Mission and Campus Life, and University Advancement.
Banks earned his sociology degree from QU in 1976 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Sam and his wife Maureen raised three children, Bryan, Brittany, and Danielle. Maureen served on the QU Board of Trustees for six years.
Candidates for Baccalaureate Degrees
Diocese of Springfield of Illinois
QUINCY, ILLINOIS
Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki is the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. He has served as bishop of the diocese since 2010.
Bishop Paprocki was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1978. After ordination, he studied law at DePaul University College of Law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1981. Working as a parish priest at St. Michael Church in South Chicago, then-Father Paprocki co-founded the South Chicago Legal Clinic to help answer the need for legal services for the poor. In 2014 Bishop Paprocki was named President Emeritus and Of Counsel of the organization, now called the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic.
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin appointed him as Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1985 and, in 1987, sent him to do post graduate studies in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He completed his doctoral degree in 1991.
He returned to his previous position in Chicago as Vice Chancellor and was appointed Chancellor in March 1992, serving in that capacity under Cardinal Bernardin and then under Cardinal Francis George, following Cardinal Bernardin's death in 1996.
Concluding his service as Chancellor after two terms in office in 2000, then-Father Paprocki studied Polish language and culture at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. In 2001, he was appointed Pastor of St. Constance Parish, serving primarily a large immigrant community from Poland on the northwest side of Chicago. In addition to Polish, Bishop Paprocki speaks English, Spanish, and Italian, and he reads Latin.
Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Paprocki to serve as Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago in 2003. Cardinal George named him Liaison for Health and Hospital Affairs in the Archdiocese of Chicago. In 2013, he received his Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from the University of Notre Dame.
He taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola University's Chicago School of Law from 1999 to 2015 and at Notre Dame Law School from 2016 to 2021.
Bishop Paprocki currently is Adjunct Professor of Law, Business, and Bioethics at Quincy University's Oakley School of Business, Quincy, Illinois, and Adjunct Professor of Law, Ave Maria School of Law, Naples, Florida. Bishop Paprocki’s many honors and awards include an honorary doctorate in laws from Quincy University, which was conferred in 2012.
Candidates for Master’s Degrees
Oakley School of Business
Master of Business Administration
Kami Rose Conry .................................... Mendon, Illinois
Candidates for Baccalaureate Degrees About Commencement
The word “commencement” comes to us through the French word comencer from the Vulgar Latin cominitiare meaning to begin or to initiate. It was the word given to the initiation ceremony reserved for university teachers in medieval Europe. Quincy University holds two formal Commencement programs each year in May and December.
Degrees
A degree is awarded for the completion of a specific program of study. The first known academic degree, the doctorate (from Latin docere, to teach), was granted by the University of Bologna in the mid-twelfth century. The first bachelor’s degree awarded in America was in 1642. Today, Quincy University grants bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Participants
The Marshal – The marshal, usually a senior member of the faculty, is responsible for leading the candidates for degrees to and from the ceremony.
The Mace and Mace Bearer – While today the mace bearer fills a purely ceremonial role, in medieval times this person functioned as a bodyguard to a dignitary taking public office or opening court. The mace and mace bearer are traditionally part of university commencement ceremonies. Quincy University’s mace was designed by the late Fr. Thomas Brown, OFM, former Chair of the Department of Art.
The Platform Party – The platform party is last to enter the ceremony grounds and is first to leave. It consists of the University president, trustees, honorary degree recipients and commencement speaker
The Faculty and Administration – Members of the University faculty, administration and staff dress in academic regalia appropriate to their own degrees. The Quincy University president typically wears academic regalia featuring the symbols and colors of the University, including a gold medallion displaying the great seal of the University. The University’s trustees also wear academic regalia.
The Graduates – Students are grouped according to the disciplines in which they are to receive their degrees. Bachelor’s students wear stoles. Master’s students wear hoods bearing the colors of Quincy University and trimmed with the colors associated with the degree. Master’s hoods for business graduates are customarily trimmed in drab, while education hoods are trimmed in blue.
Honors
Students who maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.60 on all Quincy University courses completed for a baccalaureate degree are eligible for graduation with honors as follows:
Summa Cum Laude cumulative average 3.90-4.00
Magna Cum Laude cumulative average 3.75-3.89
Cum Laude ..................................................................................... cumulative average 3.60-3.74
These honor distinctions will be noted on the student’s transcript and diploma. Students receiving Summa Cum Laude honors wear the Bonaventure Medal. Students receiving Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude honors wear gold and silver honor cords, respectively. Other honor cords are worn by graduates who are members of academic honor societies and/or the Honors Program.
Candidates for Baccalaureate Degrees Academic Procession
Faculty members enter the ceremony space by academic rank, from lowest to highest, and by seniority within rank from least to most senior. Emeriti or retired faculty are given places of honor. The faculty is led by its marshal – a senior faculty member. At Quincy University, the marshal carries a mace as a symbol of authority.
Stylized academic costume is a notable feature of formal functions at colleges and universities throughout the world. The custom of wearing distinctive regalia for academic ceremonies goes back to the European Middle Ages. As there was an intimate relationship between early European universities and the Roman Catholic Church, and as originally all university professors were clerics, the garb adopted for scholars was similar to that of the clergy. In addition, the costume also served a practical purpose; heavy gowns, hoods and caps were essential for scholars who lived, studied and taught in unheated buildings.
The bachelor’s gown is without ornament and has long pointed sleeves and is designed to be worn closed. The master’s gown has a longer but oblong sleeve that conveys the appearance of a short sleeve. The rear part of its oblong shape is square-cut while the front part has an arc cut away. The doctor’s gown has bell-shaped sleeves. Like the master’s gown, it may be worn open or closed. Bachelor’s and master’s gowns are untrimmed, while the doctor’s gown usually is faced down the front with lapels of velvet and has three velvet bars on the sleeves. A fourth velvet bar is added to the sleeves for the gown of a university president.
The Oxford cap or mortarboard made of serge, broadcloth or durable paper, is worn for most degrees. A tassel hangs down on the side, and the colors of those tassels vary from one university to another.
Bachelor graduates wear a white stole bearing the Quincy University seal; Master’s graduates are hooded during the ceremony. Faculty, administrators, and staff wear hoods. The greatest degree of symbolism is shown by the hood. The bachelor’s hood is three feet long, and the master’s hood is three-and-a-half feet long. The doctor’s hood is four feet long and has wide side panels. The lining of the hood is silk in the colors of the institution conferring the degree. The hood’s velvet border indicates the major field of study. Sample hood colors include arts and humanities (white), business (drab), communication (crimson), education (light blue), fine arts (brown), law (purple), medicine (green), music (pink), public administration (peacock blue), science (golden yellow), and theology (scarlet).
Presidential Regalia
Candidates for Baccalaureate Degrees
Quincy University Alma Mater
To view an electronic version of the 2026 QU Commencement
